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As defined by nutritionists, dairy products include anything that can be obtained from milk and that preserves its original nutritional benefits, no matter how much its appearance, consistency, texture or digestive properties may be altered.
Among the most widely known of these by-products are yoghurt, cheese, farmers' cheese, butter and cream. Together they constitute one of the key food groups in the daily nutritional intake recommended by doctors.
Unlike semi-dairy products, in which milk is combined with other ingredients, dairy products contribute a substantial amount of proteins to the organism thanks to their content in lactoglobulin and lactoalbumin not to mention casein, carbohydrates, lactose, Vitamins A and D as well as the B-complex group, including Vitamin B2 or riboflavin. Then you have minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium, as well as fatty acids and cholesterol. No wonder dairy products provide 10% of our total energy requirements, around 40% of essential calcium, some 14% of our Vitamin A intake and a significant proportion of the Vitamin B group.

Doctors point out that regular consumption of dairy products can help the formation and replacement of red corpuscles in the bloodstream. In addition to stimulating growth and appetite in small children, they help improve their memory, the ability to concentrate and raises their irritability threshold. They play a major part in bone development and tissue growth. Their contribution also enhances the body's ability to metabolise fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

Cheese is probably the most important dairy derivative since it preserves in concentrated form all the proteins, milkfat, calcium, sodium, Vitamin A and a fair percentage of the riboflavin found in whole milk. What gets lost in the transformation from milk to cheese is mostly lactose, meaning that is carbohydrate content is significantly reduced.

Countless varieties of cheese have been developed, depending on the type of milk that is used in its manufacture, the treatment that it is subjected to during the cheesemaking process, and the time it is left to age or cure, but the healthiest of all are the low-salt fresh or "farmer's"� cheeses.

Butter and cream are particularly rich in Vitamin A and although they do contain significant quantities of cholesterol and saturated fats, they can be enjoyed in small amounts unless one is suffering from diabetes or high cholesterol or else is significantly overweight.

Yoghurt also belongs under this heading. It is obtained by adding Lactobacilus bulgaris and Streptococcus to ferment the lactic acid. Healthy and nourishing, yoghurt's high Vitamin A and D content helps the body to absorb calcium. That's reason enough why it should be eaten in periods of growth, during the menopause and by those suffering� from osteoporosis.

In addition, eating yoghurt regularly tends to help the immune system kick in and so helps fight off viral and germ infections, allows intestinal flora to develop, while lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the bloodstream.